Fueling device for lighters



C. STORCH FUELING DEVICE FOR LIGHTERS Nov. 6, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 20, 1955.

Nov. 6, 1956 c. sroRcH 2,769,325

FUELING DEVICE FOR LiGHTERs Filed July 2o,.1955 Y 2 sheets-sheet 2 ssm 352/ 340 1N NToR 334 curro sToRcH.

BY M0 MAN ATTORNEYS'. l

United States Patent O FUELING DEVICE FOR LGHTERS Clifford Storch, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Astorloid Manufacturing Company, Inc., Bronx, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application `luly 20, 1955, Serial No. 523,192

3 Claims. (Cl. 677,.1)

This invention relates to pyrophoric lighter mechanisms and in particular to a novel fueling device which will enable the wick of the lighter mechanism to be saturated and fueled with lighter lluid.

Pyrophoric lighter mechanisms generally include an elongated lighter wick which is coiled and housed Within the body of the lighter. In. order that the wick be instantly operable, it is necessary that its exposed portion extending beyond the hou-sing of the lighter mechanism, be saturated with lighter fluid. Hitherto, in order to properly saturate the exposed portion of the wick, a screw plug at the `other end of the lighter mechanism housing was Unthreaded and completely removed from an opening. The removal of the screw plug left an opening through which fluid was poured from a receptacle into the lighter housing body and onto the coiled portion lof the elongated wick enclosed therein. lt was necessary to pour as much lighter uid into the body of the lighter mechanism as was necessary to saturate by conduction the exposed wick portion extending beyond the other end of the housing.

Oftentirnes, while carrying out this 'operation of fueling, if the lighter fluid is not poured ldirectly into the plug opening, it will flow down along the sides of the lighter, resulting in a very cumbersome, odorous and messy operation.

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the mess, the unpleasant chore and after effects which are associated with fueling of pyrophoric lighters.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fueling device which, when once fixed or secured Within the lighter housing, need not be removed therefrom when it becomes necessary to fuel and saturate the wick therein with fluid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a refueling device which is instantly ready for operation and automatically seals the fuel in the body of the lighter, once it has been poured from the fluid receptacle.

A further object of the invention resides in thekprovision of a fueling device which automatically positions the fluid receptacle with respect to the lighter, to insure that the fluid will flow ldirectly into the lighter and not about the outer sides thereof.

Other and further Iobjects of my invention reside in the structures andarrangements hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front velevational view of a lighter mechanism, part of which is broken away Vto show the concept of the novel fueling device constructed in accordance with the principles of lthe invention.

Fig. '2 is a sectional side elevational view of a novel fueling device adapted to be employed in the `lighter mechanism shown in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a top view of the fueling device shown in Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a side elevational View of the novel lfueling ice device shown in Figs. 2 and 3, in fueling position and in cooperation with a fueling can,

Fig. 5 is a sectional side elevational view 'of another embodiment of a fueling device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Fig. 6 isa sectional side elevational viewof a lighter mechanism and a further embodiment of a fueling deviece constructed in accordanceV with the teaching of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the fueling device shown in the embodiment Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevational view of a further lighter mechanism, and of still another embodiment of a fueling device constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention.

Referring now to Figs. l to 4 of the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. l wherein there is shown a lighter mechanism generally identified by the numeral 1i). The lighter mechanism 10 may be of any conventional or well-known construction having a wick chamber delined by a cover 12 in which a wick material 14 is enclosed. The bottom end of the lighter mechanism lo is enclosed by a bottom plate 16 (the lighter l@ being shown in its inverted position in Fig. l) while the end lg encloses the top of the wick chamber 12. Secured to the top end enclosing member 1S is a pivoted lingeractuated lever ,20 and a wick holder 22 through which one end of the wick 14 projects.

The present invention is concerned with the fueling device-generally identified by the numeral 24 provided in the base enclosing plate 16 (Fig. l). The fueling device 24 comprises a housing Which is not numbered but which is formed or composed of two portions, namely a sleeve portion 26 and a seat portion 23. In the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the sleeve and seat portions 26 and 28 respectively, are separate members which are secured together in an accommodating undercut 30l provided in the inner periphery of the seat member 2S. The sleeve member 26, which comprises the sleeve portion of the fueling housing of the fueling device 24, may be secured to the seat member 28 in the undercut portion 30 thereof in any suitable manner, for example, by a sweat it.

Mounted within the fueling housing of the fueling device 24 is a plug or valve member 32. The plug -or valve member 32 has a narrowed lower portion 34 which is guided in a guide member 36. The guide member 36 is provided with a guide opening 38 defined therein which encompasses and accommodates the lower narrowed portion 34 of the plug 32 to accurately guide the same as it moves within and relative to the fueling housing and sleeve portion 26.

From Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, it will be noted that the guide member 36 seats on a spun or iuturned lip 4t) of the lower portion 26. The opposite end of the plug 32 has an enlarged head 42 having a diameter slightly smaller than the in-side Adiameter of the sleeve portion 26 to provide therebetween an air exhaust space (not numbered), the purpose of which Will become obvious as the ldescription proceeds.

The outer periphery of the head 42 terminates in a tapered seat 44 'which is adapted to cooperate with and seat against a corresponding tapered seat 46 provided on the inner periphery of the seat portion 28.

Defined Within the head portion 42 of the plug 32, is a frus-to-conical inlet opening 4S which is interconnected by Way of a conduit Si) with an outlet opening 52 provided in vthe lower narrowed portion 34 of the plug 32.

Positioned between the slidable plug 32 and the fueling housing, which includes the portions 26 and 28, is a resilient means or spring 54, one end of which seats on an end face of the guide member 36, while its other end seats on a shoulder 55 of the enlarged head 42 of the plug 32. The spring 54, being constantly tensioned, normally urges the tapered seat 44 of the enlarged head 42 into seating engagement with the corresponding tapered seat 46 of the seat portion 2S of the fueling housing.

When the plug 32 is so moved into its normal engagement with the seat 46 of the fueling housing, its outlet valve 52 at the lower narrowed portion 34 thereof, covered and closed by the guide member 36. At the same time, the previously mentioned air exhaust space formed between the plug 32 and the fueling housing is closed to the outside of the lighter mechanism 10 by the cooperating seating engagement between the two tapered surfaces 44 and 46.

The fueling device 24 thus described is adapted to be secured in the bottom of the lighting mechanism 10 by threading the threaded portion 56 of the seat 28 into securing cooperation with a corresponding female threaded portion (not numbered) provided in the base plate 16. With the fueling device 24 thus secured to the base 16 of the lighter mechanism 10, the sleeve portion 26 ofthe fueling housing is retained extended into the wick chamber 12. The sleeve portion 26 is provided with at least one or more air displacement apertures S which provide communication between the air wick chamber 12 of the lighter mechanism and the aforementioned air exhaust space defined between the slidable plug 32 and the fueling housing.

ln order to fuel the wick 14 enclosed within the chamber 12 of the lighting mechanism, a fuel can 59 (see Fig. 4), having a spout 60, is moved toward the fueling device 24 and into cooperation with the inner tapered plug inlet 4S guided by a tapered surface 62 provided at the entrance of the seat portion 28. Continued downward movement of the fuel can 59 and its spout 60 into the frusto-conical inlet 48 of the plug member 32 causes the plug to move downwardly relative to the sleeve portion 26 of the fueling housing against the opposite urging of the resilient means or spring S4.

Such relative movement of the plug 32 causes the outlet 52 at the lower portion 34 thereof, to become uncovered from the guide member 36, while the tapered cooperating seating surfaces 44 and 46 become disengaged to provide an air exhaust passageway (not numbered) therebetween which will communicate with the air exhaust space defined between the movable plug 32 and the sleeve portion 16, and also to communicate with the wick chamber 12 of the lighting mechanism by way of the air displacement aperture or apertures 58 defined in the sleeve portion 26.

The air displacement aperture or aperture-s 58 communicating with the air exhaust space between the plug 32 and the sleeve portion 26, and the communicating air passageway defined by the disengaging movement of the cooperating tapered surfaces 44 and 46, provide a direct exhaust for the air trapped in the chamber 12 of the lighting mechanism 10. Y

Thus, as lighter uid is squeezed or poured from the spout 60 of the fuel can 59, the uid passes by way of the inlet 48, through the conduit 50 and out through the outlet 52 under forced application into the Wick chamber 12, while the air trapped in the wick chamber 12 escapes by way of the air displacement apertures 58, the air exhaust space, and the air passageway created by the downward movement of the plug 32.

Upon removal of the uid spout 60 from the inlet 48 of the plug 32, the plug will automatically be moved relative to the housing and sleeve portion 26 by the normal urging of spring 54, whereby its tapered surface 44 will once again engage with the tapered seat 46 of the seat portion 2S, thereby closing the air exhaust passageway, and as a consequence, the air exhaust space and the air displacement apertures 58 to the outside of the lighting mechanism 10. Simultaneously therewith, the outlet 52 provided in the lower narrowed portion 34 of the plug 32, is covered and closed by the guiding member 36 thereabout.

To facilitate quick or rapid removal of the fueling device 24 from the base 16 of the lighting mechanism 10, there is provided a screwdriver slot 64, which may be manipulated either by a screwdriver, or perhaps by a coin of small width.

ln the embodiment shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, it will be noted that the fueling device generally identified by numeral 124 is very similar in structure to the fueling device 24 above disclosed; the difference being that the sleeve portion 126 and the threaded seat portion 128 which are combined to form the fueling housing, are continuations each from the other. Thus, where, in the prior fueling device 24, the seat and sleeve portions were separate members made integral with each other, the present embodiment generally identified by the numeral 124 (Fig. 5), the sleeve portion 126 is an integral continuation of the seat portion 128, thereby forming a unitary fueling housing (not numbered).

The remaining elements of the fueling device 124 of the present embodiment are of substantially the same structure and function in substantially the same manner as in the previously described embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4. There is however, a further slight difference between the prior embodiment and the instant embodi* ment in that the guide member 136 of the instant embodiment is secured in the lower end of the sleeve portion 126 of the fueling housing, rather than being seated on an inturned or spun lip such as is shown in the fueling device 24. This does not in any manner change the cooperation or operation of the guiding member 136 with the narrowed lower portion 134 of the plug member 132.

In the event the fueling device 124 (Fig. 5) were to be employed with the lighter mechanism 10 disclosed in Fig. l, the sleeve portion 126 of the fueling housing wou-ld be inserted through the bottom plate 16 to extend into the wick chamber 12 wherein the wick 14 is enclosed. The fueling housing and the sleeve portion 126 would be secured to the bottom of the lighter mechanism 10 by threading the threaded portion 156 of the seat portion 128 into cooperation with threads of the bottom plate 16. Once having been secured in the bottom of the lighter mechanism, the fueling device 124 would operate in substantially the same manner as was previously `described with respect to the fueling device 24 (Figs. 1 to 4).

That is to say, the plug member 132 would be moved by resilient means or spring 156 into its normal position such as is shown in Fig. 5, wherein its tapered seat 144 will seat and engage against the cooperating tapered seat 146 of the seat member 128. When the plug 132 is in this normal position, the lower narrowed end 134 is so guided by the guide member 136 as to cover and close the outlet 152.

When it is desired to fuel the wick 14 in the chamber 12 fof the lighter mechanism 1t?, the spout 60 of a fueling can 59 (see Fig. 4) is moved toward the fueling device 124 and guided into the frusto-conical inlet 148 of the plug member 132 by the tapered guide surface 162 provided at the entrance portion of the seat portion 128 of the fueling housing. Continued downward movement of the fueling can 59 and the spout 60 will move the plug 132 downwardly in opposition to the normal urging of the resilient means 154 until such time as the fueling outlet 152 at the lower end of the plug member is uncovered from the guide member 136.

At the same time, the tapered seats 144 and 146 are caused to separate to provide therebetween an air exhaust passageway (not numbered) which communicates with the air exhaust space (not numbered) formed between the plug member 132 and the sleeve portion 126 of the fueling housing. The `air exhaust passageway formed by the space provided between ,the tapered seats 144 and 146 thus permits communication between the a-tmosphere about the lighter 10 and lthe wick chamber 12 by way of the air exhaust space previously described, and the air aperture or apertures 158 providedy in the sleeve portion 126 of the fueling housing.

By thus providing for an escape of air vtrapped in the wick chamber 12 of the lighter mechanism 10, the lighter uid poured from the spou-t of the fueling `can 59 moves under pressure into the inlet 148 of the plug member 132 by way of the conduit 150 and thence out under pressure through the outlet 152 at the lower end of the plug member into the wick chamber 12, while at the same time, air escapes from the wick chamber 12 by way of the communicating air exhaust aperture or apertures 158, the air exhaust space between the plug and `the fueling housing and by way of `the communicating air exhaust passageway defined by the separation of 4the tapered seats 144 and 146.

When the spout of the fueling can 59 is removed from the inlet 148 the plug will automatically be moved back to its normal position. The outlet 152 will be covered and closed by the guide 136 while the air communication between the wick chamber 12 and the outside of the lighter 10 will be cut off by the seating of tapered surfaces 144 and 146.

Referring now to the embodiment disclosed in Fig. 6, it will be noted that the fuelin-g housing (not numbered) f the fueling device 224 comprises a sleeve portion 226 which .is formed as a unitary part of the bottom 216 of the lighter mechanism 210. The sleeve portion 226 is so formed integral with the lighter mechanism as to extend within the wick chamber 212,.

A seat member 228 having an outer peripheral threaded portion 256 is adapted to be threaded into the base 216 of the lighter mechanism 210 to cooperate with the sleeve portion 226 to form therewith portions of the fueling housing (not numbered). Slidably movable and posi tioned within the fueling housing is a plug member 232 having a frusto-conical tapered inlet 248 communicating by way of passage or conduit 250, with an outlet 252 at the lower narrowed portion 234. The plug member 232 is normally guided for its sliding movement by a guide member 236 defined as an integral and unitary part of the sleeve portion 226.

A resilient means or spring 254 normally seats at its one end against the guide member 236 `and at its other end against a shoulder 255 of the head portion 242 of the plug 232. Resilient member 254 normally urges the plug member 232 upwardly so that a tapered seat 244, defined on the outer periphery of the head 242, will seat and cooperate with a cooperating seat v246 defined on the inner periphery of the seat member 228 of the fueling housing.

When the two cooperating seats 244 and 246 are normally in engagement, the plug 232 is in its highest and closed position, such that the outlet 252 is covered and closed by the guide member 236. To fuel the wick that may be enclosed within the chamber 212 of the lighter mechanism 210, a fueling can 59 (see Fig. 4) having a spout 60, is moved toward the fueling device 224. The spout 60 is guided by the tapered guide surface 262 provided on the seat portion 228 of the fueling housing, into the frusto-conical inlet 248 of the plug member 232. Continued downward movement of the fueling can 59 will move the plug member 232 in opposition to the normal urging of the spring 254, thereby separating the two tapered surfaces 244 and 246 and uncovering the outlet 252.

When the tapered seat 244 is unseated from engagement with the corresponding tapered seat 246 of the fueling housing, an air exhaust passageway is formed therebetween. The air exhaust passageway communicates with an air exhaust space defined between .the slidable plug 232 and the fueling housing. The air exhaust passageway, in'turn, communica-tes with the wick chamber 212 by way of air displacement aperture or apertures 258 defined in the sleeve portion 226.

As fuel is poured from the fueling can into the inlet 24S of the plug member 232, and thence by way of the conduit 250 and out into the wick chamber by'way of the outlet 252, air normally trapped within the wick chamber 212 is permitted to escape by way of the communicating air displacement aperture or apertures 258, the -air exhaust space defined between t-he plug 232 and the fueling housing, and thence by way of the air exhaust passageway defined by the separation of the cooperating tapered seats 244 and 246.

When the fueling yoperation is completed and the can 59 and spout 66 are removed from the frusto-conical inlet 248 of the plug member 232, the spring 254 automatically moves the plug back into engagement with the seat portion 228 so that the seats 244 and 246 may once again cooperate to close or block the escape of air from the wick chamber 212 to the outside of the lighter mechanism 210.

ln order to facilitate rapid threading and unthreading of the seat portion 228 of the fueling housing, a plurality of arcuate slots 264 are provided at the top thereof. The arcuate slots may accommodate any convenient ySpanner wrench. To further insure the sealing of the fueling device 224, a gasket 266 may be provided between the seat portion 228 and the bottom 216 .of the lighter mechanism 21). v

The embodiment in Fig. 8 discloses a lighting mechanism generally identified by the numeral 310 which comprises a wick chamber 312 in which a wick (not shown) is enclosed. In order to fuel the wick enclosed within the chamber 312, there is provided a fueling device generally identified by the numeral 324.

The fueling device 324 comprises a unitary fueling housing (not numbered) which includes a seat portion 328 and a sleeve portion 326. lThe sleeve and seat portions 326 and 328 respectively, are continuations each from the` other to form the unitary housing. From the drawing it will be noted that the unitary fueling housing is in turn formed as a continuation of the base 316 of the lighter mechanism 310, whereby the sleeve portion326 extends into the wick chamber 312.

The remaining structure of the fueling device 324 is substantially the same as the fueling devices 2 4, v124 and 224, previously described. A guide member 336 which is seated on an inturned lip 340 of the sleeve portion 326 guides a plug-member 332 for sliding movement relative to the seat and sleevev portions of the fueling housing. As in the previous embodiments, a resilient means or spring member 354 seated at its one end on the guide member 336 and bearing at its other end on a shoulder 355 of the plug member 332, normally moves the plug member 332 so that its tapered seat 344 will engage with a tapered seat 346 of the sleeve portion 328 of the lighter mechanism. When the plug member 332 is in its normal position as above described, its outlet 352 is covered and consequently closed by the guide member 336.

Fueling of the wick enclosed Within the chamber 312 of the lighter mechanism 316 is carried out in substantially the same manner as previously described. A fueling can 59, having a spout 50 (see Fig. 4) is moved toward the fueling device 324 with the spout guided by the tapered guide surface 362 to enter into a frusto-conical inlet 348 defined in the plug member 332. Continued movement of the fueling can 59 will move the plug member 332 in opposition to the normal urging of the spring 354 to separate the seated tapered surfaces 344 and 346 to define therebetween an air exhaust passageway. At the same time, the outlet 352, defined in the lower narrowed portion 334 of the plug member 332 is uncovered from the guide member 336.

As lighter Huid is poured from the spout of the can 59 into the inlet 348 and thence conveyed by way of the conduit 350 and the outlet 352 into the wick chamber 312, air is permitted to escape from the wick chamber 312 to the outside of the lighting mechanism 310 by way of the air exhaust aperture or apertures 358, the air exhaust space defined between the slidable plug 332 and the fueling housing, and thence by way of the air exhaust passageway defined by the separated tapered seats 344 and 346.

After the fueling operation has been completed, and the fuel can 59 is removed from the frusto-conical inlet 348 of the plug member 332, the plug is automatically returned to its normal position by the urging of the resilient means 354. The outer peripheral tapered seat 344, defined on the head 342 of the plug member, is then moved back into its normal seating engagement with the inner peripheral tapered surface 346 of the seat portion 328 of the unitary fueling housing. With the plug member 332 moved back to its normal position the air exhaust permitted during the fueling operation is thus eliminated and, at the same time, the outlet 352 at the lower narrowed portion 334 of the plug member 332 is covered and closed by the guide member 336.

From the above, it will be clear that applicant has invented a novel fueling device for a lighting mechanism in which there is a normally open fueling inlet, and a normally closed fueling outlet, and by way of which, during the fueling operation, the fueling outlet is uncovered and an air exhaust communication is provided between the wick chamber of the lighting mechanism and the outside atmosphere about the lighting mechanism. The commu nicating air exhausts thereby permit air to freely pass from the chamber of the lighting mechanism to beyond the lighting mechanism, thus allowing fluid to flow under force into the wick chamber and to adequately fuel the wick enclosed therein.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to several preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated and in their operations may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. lt is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

The body of the lighters shown in the respective embodiments may be made from metal (stamping or casting); plastics; or any other suitable material.

I claim:

1. In a fueling device for a lighter mechanism having a wick chamber, a housing including a sleeve portion and a seat portion having a seat, a plug freely slidable in said housing and radially spaced therefrom to define an air exhaust space therebetween, said sleeve portion having an air aperture defined therein to provide communication between said chamber and said exhaust space, said plug having a normally open fueling inlet and an outlet spaced from said inlet, a conduit in said plug interconnecting said inlet and outlet, and means tensioned between said housing and'plug normally operative to freely urge the latter into seating cooperation with said seat portion and to close said fueling outlet, said plug being operable in opposition to the normal urging of said means to further tension the same to open said fueling outlet and unseat said plug to dene an air exhaust passageway between said seat and plug communieating with said wick chamber by way of said air exhaust space.

2. In a fueling device as in claim l, said sleeve portion being a continuation of said seat portion, said seat portion having a threaded means adapted to be threadably secured to the lighter mechanism to retain the sleeve portion extended into said chamber, and guide means mounted within said sleeve portion to guide said plug for sliding movement in said housing.

3. In a fueling device for a lighter mechanism having a wick chamber, a sleeve, a threaded seat member connected with said sleeve to dene a housing and adapted to be threadably secured to said lighter mechanism to retain said sleeve extended into said chamber, said seat member having a valve seat, a plug slidable in said housing and spaced therefrom to dene an exhaust space therebetween, a guide in said housing to guide said plug therein during the sliding movement of the same, said sleeve portion having an air aperture defined therein to communicate said chamber with said exhaust space, said plug having a normally open fuel inlet, an outlet spaced from said inlet, a conduit in said plug interconnecting said inlet and outlet, and means between said housing and plug normally operative to urge the latter into seating cooperation with said valve seat and to close said fueling outlet, said plug being operable in opposition to the normal urging of said means to open said fueling outlet and unseat said plug to define a passageway communicating with said wick chamber.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,643,535 strumbos June 3o, 1953 2,670,499 Weigold et al Mar. 2, 1954 2,710,506 Zellweger June 14, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 677,327 Great Britain Aug. 13, 1952 

